Anode



Sept. 4, 1923. 1,467fi60 A. P. MUNNING ANODE Filed Dec. 5. 1921 1 I Z W a agusi Pflan/lzligg IN VEN TOR ATTORNE Y5 Patented Sept. 4, 1923.

AUGUST P. MUNNING, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO A. P. MUNNITIG'& (10., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

AN ODE.

' Application filed December 5, 1921. Serial No. 519,94 2.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST P. MUNNING,

a citizen of the United States, a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Anodes, of

which the following is a. specification.

The invention has for an object to provide an anode for use in electro-lytic apparatus which will combine the quality of maximum surface exposure to the bath with minimum weight or volume, and which will be of such structure as to be capable of being manufactured by easy shaping operations into various sizes or shapes such as might be desired for different classes of work.

The invention also aims to secure high and uniform conductivity throughout the anode as well as to eliminate waste in manufacturing and using or in adapting the same to different purposes. Further objects and advantages will be in part obvious and in part specifically pointed out in the description hereinafter contained, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof; such embodiment, however, is to be considered merely as illustrative of its principle. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view partly in section of an anode constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

In order to provide an anode which will have large surface exposure to the bath, the body thereof is provided with one or more ridges 1, which are directed obliquely to its longitudinal axis and thus break up the surface of the anode into a plurality of raised portions and depressions which materially increases its effective area. In the illustrated embodiment a single ridge 1 of the character above mentioned is employed, and extended spirally around the surface of the anode from end to end, thus obtaining a larger effective area or exposure than would be the case with longitudinal or transverse rid es of similar size.

Elthough an anode of the above character may be made b casting, one of its important advantages is due to the fact that ridges of the character above mentioned may be provided by less expensive or less diflicult metal shaping operations and permitting the use of metal in standard 'commercial sizes and forms. The anode shown in the drawin consists of a metal bar;2 which is suitaly shaped into spiral form, 60 for example by winding it over a mandrel; although it will be understood that the proper shape of the anode may be obtained by other operations such as drawing, extruding or rolling. I prefer to make up the anode of a metal bar of polygonal cross section and to shape the same into the desired form so with relation to its cross section that the oblique ridge 1 will be formed by the sides 4 and 5 of the cross sectional polygon, which sides converge outwardly to form the ridge, the inner side or sides of such cross sectional polygon leaving a. hole 7 within the anode. An anode as above described, therefore, may be easily constructed of minimum weight by employing a metal bar of such size as to leave the hole 7 therein sufficiently large to avoid the use of an undue amount of metal, while the spiral ridge will provide adequate exposure to the bath. It will be understood that an anode as above described can be made without Waste of any desired length or size, or cross sectional area, since, althou h the illustrated embodiment is cylindrica no material difficulty would be involved in making the same of any other shape likely to be desired.

Since the metal bar 2 extends throu hout the whole length of the anode, the latter also will be of uniform and high conduc no tivity throughout, no high resistance joints or the like being involved between the portions provided to increase the surface exposure. The anode is entirely self-supporting and sustaining, no spine or core being necessary to hold the oblique ridges in place, and since, as above described, the anode may be made up from metal in bar form, the invention is not limited in regard to the metal which may be employed, but any ma- I terial adapted for use as an anode, such as nickel, copper, zinc, brass or other composition may be used without difiiculty in the shaping operations.

I prefer to secure the anode to its support by a detachable wedge or expansion device co-operating with hole 7 in the anode, thereby rendering the anodes a'nd their supports interchan eable, orthe same anode to be reversed wit regard to its support,

nut previously described.

interposed between the members 9 and 10* port 8 is screw-threaded and a tapered nut 9 engages the screw threads,while a collar 10 is slidablealong the su port above the plit sleeve 11 15 previously described, and has detents 12 and 13 at its upper and lower ends respectively which engage over projections 14: and 15 respectively on nut 9 and collar 10. The innor surface of split sleeve 11 is tapered, whereby it the support 8 he turned, nut 9 will be drawn upwardly and sleeve 11 wedged outwardly into firm engagement with hole or opening 7. n

It will he noted that the anode support 8 and its attaching device need not extend more than a slight distance into the anode, and therefore, it is possible to avoid the use of special materials such as lead con: nection with the support, since the latter and its attaching device may he kept above the surface of the bath without waste or undue electrical resistance of the material the anode. The particular form of attaching device ahove described, however, should he considered merely as typicalor illustrcw tive of devices of this class.

The invention also embodies an anode which will eliminate waste use by pen mitting partially consumed anodes to he attached to or supported from similar more perfect anodes, in such manner that'consumption of the material of the partially consumed anode may then he completed.

*Continued use of an anode tends to cause to taper toward its lower end, and an anode made in accordance with the present inventionmay he readily constructed to enable the tapered portion of a partially consumed anode to be inserted within the hole 7 oi a similar more perfect anode, suitable means being provided whereby the partially consumed anode, inserted as ahove described, will he held in position until it has been completely consumed. In the illustrated form of the invention, the bar 2 is of rec-'=' tangular cross section, whereby the inner sides 6 and =6 oi the cross sectional polygon of the bar converge to form an inner spiral ridge 16 of a pitch equal to that or: the outer spiral ridge; Thus after an anode has hecome partially consumed, its tapered end may he inserted within the hole 7 at the bottom of a newer anode as shown in Fig. 1,

until the outer ridge of the partially consumed anode engages the inner spiral ridge 16 of the newer anode, the ridges interengaging in such manner that a further slight rotation of the partially consumed anode will cause it to be efiectively locked to or supported by the newer anode until completely consumed.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown, it will be obvious that many changes will be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invenridge extending spirally around the periph-.

ery thereof.

el. An anode for electro-lytic apparatus comprising a hollow metallic member having a ridge extending spirally around the periphery thereof.

5. An anode for electro-lytic apparatus comprising a metal loar of spiral shape.

An anode for electro-lytic apparatus comprising a metal bar of spiral shape, ad acent turns of the spiral being substantially contact with each other.

'7. An anode for electro-lytic apparatus comprising a metal bar formed into a spiral, said "oar heing f polygonal cross section with sides converging outwardly to form spiral ridge on the periphery of the anode.

8. An anode for electro-lytic apparatus comprising a metallic member having pants on the body thereof shaped to engage and support a partially consumed anode or."

similar type.

9. An anode for electrolytic apparatus comprising a hollow member having spiral ridges of suhstantially equal pitch on its inner and outer surfaces.

10. A hollow anode lo-r electrol tic an paratus having raised portions and depressions on its outer surface, inner surface of such anode losing also provided with raised portions and depressions adapted interilt with the outer raised portions and depressions of a similar partially consumed anode.

ii. The method of making an anode for electro-lytic apparatus which comprises bending a metal har of polygonal cross section into spiral form with an inner side of such polygon disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the anode, and other sides of such polygon converging outwardly to form a spiral ridge or the periphery of the anode.

12. An anode tor electro-lytic apparatus comprising a hollow metallic member, an

anode support, and detachable means for seice curing said support to said metallic member to fit Within the hollow of such member, said comprising an expansion device adapted to attaching device being located-entirely in 10 fit Within the hollow of such member. the upper portion of the anode. p

13. An anode for electro-lytic apparatus In testimony that I claim the foregoing, 5 comprising a hollow metallic member, an I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day anode support, and detachable means for of November, 1921. securing said support to said metallic member comprising an expansion device adapted AUGUST P. MUNNING. 

